I’m enjoying some baseball history today, starting with an early morning Indians vs. Tigers game.  It’s been a year of streaks and sweeps, as is typical with the game of baseball.  However, there have been some monumental moments in 2017, including the current 20-game winning streak of the Cleveland Indians.   As the Tribe goes for an American League record today, I’ll be their biggest fan.  I thought the Cubs were finally on a roll at the end of July, and wrote about the 1935 club that won 21 straight games.  (See Post #181)  The Indians can tie that today with a victory over the Tigers.  It only seems appropriate that the Cubs and Indians could share history today, especially since they were the two teams that everyone was talking about as the season started.  The Cubs, of course, had edged them in the World Series last fall, leaving Cleveland with a 69-year title drought and a chip on their shoulder.  It may be their turn this year!

The 1935 Cubs won 100 games, led by Hall of Famer, Gabby Hartnett with a .344 batting average.  Pitchers Lon Warneke and Bill Lee each won 20 games.  It was the last time that the Cubs were in the World Series, until their victory last year.   That team lost the World Series to the Tigers, who gained some revenge for losses in 1907 and 1908 to the World Champion Cubs.  Detroit’s Ty Cobb never won a World Series ring, but at least was alive to witness the redeeming rematch.  It was the rival Cardinals that eventually ended the 21-game streak in St. Louis.  It’s regarded as the second longest in modern day baseball, exceeded only by the 1916 New York Giants.

Some may say that the Cubs actually had the longest streak, since the Giants run was interrupted by a tie.  It was actually 14 consecutive victories, a 1-1 tie with Pittsburgh, and 14 more before the Boston Braves beat them in the second game of a doubleheader.  All 26 of these victories took place at the legendary Polo Grounds ballpark, so none were on the road!  Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson was their biggest star.  Despite this remarkable season-ending run, they would finish no higher than 4th in the National League, amassing 86 total victories but finishing seven games behind the Brooklyn Robins.  The team had also won 17 consecutive games earlier in the season, so over half of their wins were part of these two streaks.  The Boston Red Sox defeated the Robins four games to one to take the World Series crown.

As the 2017 Indians take a 4-1 early lead over the Tigers, edging closer to the 1935 Cubs standard, I’m wondering if they can challenge that 1916 record?  It would be nice to see that controversial tie as no longer a factor in the record.  Cleveland tied the American League record yesterday of 20 straight, set by the 2002 Oakland Athletics.  The “Moneyball” A’s also failed to make it to the World Series, despite 103 victories.  They lost to Minnesota in the A.L. Division Series, proving once again that long streaks and winning 100 plus games does not win World Series.  However, the 1906 Chicago White Sox and the 1947 New York Yankees, both of which won 19 straight regular season games, also won the World Series.

The “Hitless Wonders” of 1906 somehow beat the Cubs in the World Series in one of the biggest upsets of the Fall Classic.  The Cubs had won a record 116 games, but Sox pitcher, Ed Walsh, shut them down to win it all in six games.  The New York Yankees of 1947, led by Joe DiMaggio, beat the Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson to punctuate their 19-game streak.  Going back in time, the 1904 New York Giants, who initially held the record, won 18 consecutive ballgames and 106 for the season, but no World Series was contested that year due to a dispute between the American and National leagues.  Hall of Fame pitchers Joe McGinnity won 35 games that season, and teammate Christy Mathewson accounted for 33 victories.   Finally, the 1953 Yankees matched the Giants’ 18-game mark, and went on to win the World Series.  Yankee Hall of Fame notables included Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, and Whitey Ford.  The Bronx Bombers beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, in spite of falling one-game short of 100 regular season victories.  The Yankees, who did it twice, and the White Sox are the only teams to have recorded both regular season streaks and to win it all.  Can Cleveland join them?

The Indians just made a throwing error, but maintain a 1-run lead thanks to a Jay Bruce three-run homer.  They have a 13.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the A.L. Central, who will probably be good enough to win a Wild Card spot along with the Yankees.  The Red Sox and Astros will fill the A.L. field of five.  While the Indians can hopefully extend their winning streak, the Dodgers finally snapped an 11-game losing streak.  This was a team that was destined to threaten the Cubs and Mariners 116 victory record, but got stuck on win number 92, after needing eight games to win just one. They’ve now lost 16 of their last 18 games but still maintain a 10-game lead over the Wild Card bound D-Backs.  They finally clinched last night to join the Nationals in the post season.  Meanwhile, the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, and Rockies will fight for those other two Playoff spots.  The Cubs lead in the Central has shrunk to 2 over the Cards and 2.5 over the Brewers.  All three teams won last night, but the Cubs and Cards will go head-to-head this weekend.  The Brewers who swept the Cubs at Wrigley then proceeded to get shut-out by the Pirates.  It seems that no one wants to take command of that Division, and whoever finishes second will probably not earn a Wild Card.

The Cubs play the Mets today and the Cards face the Reds, but the spotlight really belongs to the Indians.  They’ve earned my vote as the most likely to return to the World Series, especially after this record setting run.  The Cubs do not have that kind of resume to support their post season chances.  They were, however, 5 games behind the Brewers at the All Star Break, and have won or tied all of their series until the Brewers came to town.  To have Willson Contreras back behind the plate is a plus for the Cubs, while the Brewers lost starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson for the year.  Dexter Fowler will be out for a few games for the Cards with a knee contusion, but will undoubtedly return to haunt his former teammates this weekend. Perez just homered for the Indians in the bottom of the 7th to extend their lead to two over the Tigers.

It’s the top of the ninth, and the last chance for the Tigers to snap the 21-game streak.  The fans are on their feet, as closer Cody Allen puts on the finishing touches.  With the final out, the Cleveland Indians now hold the American League record, surpassing the Oakland A’s, and are tied with the 1935 Chicago Cubs.  I have mixed feelings about them taking away a Cubs record, but after that World Series victory from last year, I’m prepared to make a sacrifice.   The Royals are next to challenge.